2014

Maggie Currie – In 2014 I seemed to achieve a huge amount. In February I celebrated 30 years of wedded bliss with Kelvin. We treated ourselves to dinner at Rules in Covent Garden, followed by taking out seats in a box at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A stupendous production.

Again in February I moved house from my upstairs flat to a lovely bungalow. This involved a lot of painting of walls and woodwork, installing of a kitchen, a bathroom, central heating etc. Having begun in the previous November, this was achieved at the end of February.

I was invited to take part in the happiness project by a group of students from the Isle of Wight College. This involved me making some short videos on topics that would help young people feel better about themselves. This was for around 6 months and I thoroughly enjoyed taking part. Some of the videos can be seen here.

I wrote and presented two very successful workshops. Each had around 20 attendees who all found out more about themselves, their capabilities and each took home a physical vision of their future life.

I have written many articles for the Huffington Post which have been well received and as a result of one I wrote on manipulative and controlling relationships I was invited to be interviewed live on BBC Radio. This was great fun.

I was invited by Claire to write some articles for Glean Magazine which I have been doing. They seem to be well received too.

I achieved a complete rebrand of me and my website. Creedence is gone and Maggie Currie Coaching has emerged. The site is still evolving and I am working with a lovely lady who is writing my copy for me.

I attended a fabulous retreat in Kent with the lovely Shaa Wasmund MBE. I learned a lot about marketing me, what I want out of my business etc. , and I met some truly inspiring women and made some new friends. I would recommend any woman who wants to run a successful business to go on one of Shaa’s retreats.

I had the privilege of introducing some of our top local bands on stage at Postfest. A lovely little festival held at the Post Box Museum in Fairlee Road over a whole weekend.

I provided head massage to the punters at Rewind Festival, Henley for the 6th year. This is an 80’s band festival and has a great atmosphere and is a pleasure to be at. I have had the pleasure of providing head massage for Katy Piper and her fiancé in the year previously.

I was invited to write some articles for Simple Steps Real Change magazine and these are published globally. This seems a good publication for anyone who wants to improve their life.

I was invited to conduct mock interviews at Carisbrooke College and St. Catherine’s School. These were great fun and help the students prepare for their real life challenges when they leave school and apply for jobs.

I managed to get my 91 year old mum over to the Island for the day. This involved 4 trips on the ferry in one day, but we managed it. Took mum to The Wheatsheaf in Yarmouth for lunch, and showed her the bungalow. She had a great day, but was fairly tired at the end of the day as she is quite frail now.

The one big thing I achieved in 2014 was stepping way, way out of my comfort zone. I don’t like travelling, I don’t like flying and I don’t like travelling or flying on my own. But my friend Heather in Australia, who I have been chatting to every Tuesday (at 7am my time and 5pm her time) since 2011 and with whom I have a great connection and friendship told me in April that she had been diagnosed with melanomas and the doctors had given her 5 months to live. Heather said that she intended to be around for the next 30 years, she has had melanomas before and survived. I made the decision to fly out to Australia and meet Heather in person, to sit with her and chat and support her through one of her chemo sessions. I booked my flights for mid June. I had to buy some new jumpers etc. as it was their winter. I flew out on the Sunday and arrived at 4 am on the Tuesday morning their time. Heather’s husband Geoff had driven 350 k to pick me up at Melbourne airport and drove me 350 k back to Wangaratta and their farm. I met Heather in person and it was just as if we were continuing our conversation from a couple of days ago. We sat and chatted, we went out for a couple of afternoons to Beechworth to have afternoon tea and to Glenrowan where I ‘met’ Ned Kelly. Heather’s friend and co-writer Susan kindly drove us around. On the Friday we drove 350 k to Melbourne and the Alfred Hospital where I supported Heather through her chemo session. We then stayed with her son Rhys and his wife Sonia in Melbourne where we just chatted and watched a few dvds. Heather was very tired as you can imagine. On the Sunday Geoff and Heather dropped me off at Melbourne airport and I flew home again landing on Monday morning. Both trips involved 3 x 6 hours flights stopping at Dubai and Brunei on the way. I achieved something I had not even considered doing until April of 2014. It does all still seem surreal. Sadly Heather died 5 weeks later, but I know I made a difference to her life in the last few weeks and gave her something to look forward to.

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Maggie Jones Achievements for 2014

What a wonderful year it was for me. At the beginning of it, I had another short story published with Alfie Dog Fiction, Gulliver’s Travels. In total I have written nineteen short stories for them, three of which are in compilation books, ‘Came as Me, Left as We,’ ‘Read It Again,’ and ‘A Wish for Christmas.’ I now have my own stand-alone book, Blue’s Adventures published too.

Then in the spring, being the chair of The Wight Fair Writers, the group worked in conjunction with Specsavers the Opticians and helped them with a poetry competition.

To get our Wight Fair Writers out there, I created a face book page for them. On this I put any competitions and other information, I think might benefit them. Also this page is for members to ask any questions and help one another. And any achievements they are pleased with, I encourage them to put them on here too. It’s great to see what they have done, be it with their writing or showing their creative side.

I also created on our website, www.iowwritingcircle.co.uk a members page. This is so when anyone goes onto the website they will be able to access our members and see who is in the circle and what genre they write or if they are artistic, what type of art work they do.

Last year, another article was created, whereby members could write a musing. Each month, a different member writes about whatever they want, and it can be as long or as short as they want it to be. This has proved to be very popular, and we’ve had some wonderful musings. I have also encouraged one of the members to do a regular slot, Chestnut’s Corner, where any books she reads are regularly reviewed on here.

In the summer, I was very much honored to be asked to read a couple of stories from ‘Read It Again,’ at a benefit for Chelsea’s Wishes.

The rest of the year was spent writing short stories for my novel, Blue’s Adventures, which was published on the 25th November. When this was published, I then created Blue’s own face book page. Here people who have brought my book can go and see pictures of Blue. I too photographs of them when they brought their copies. I also went out and about taking photos of Blue from some of the places where he adventures on the island last year.

I have gone out and about selling my book to various book shops, including The Ryde Book Shop, Briddlesford Farm and Godshill Village Shop & Post Office. I also went to Havenstreet Steam Railway and sold my books there when they had their Christmas Santa Specials. I met some lovely people and was very humbled by the way my book has been received. I have had six 5* reviews, and they have all said wonderful things about the book.

Then at the end of the year the Wight Fair Writers held our Christmas writing Competition where we supported the charity Helping Someone. This event went really well and over £300 was raised for the charity.

Some exciting news for the future is The Wight Fair Writers are to become The Wight Fair Writers & Artists Circle in Jan 2015. The group has expanded, from being just a small group of writers to a large group, currently twenty five members, of various talented people from writers, poets and artists.

I hope 2015 is just as wonderful for me.

2013

Maggie Jones – Chairperson had two short stories, ‘Bessie’s Rescue,’ and ‘The Knicker Thief,’ published by Alfie Dog, in January. They are e-book publishers, www.alfiedog.com and this was closely followed by her third short story, ‘The Right Result,’ in February. Her forth, ‘The Breakdown,’ came out on the 20th March. The good news continued, as she had her 5th, ‘In the swim of it,’ published on 24th March, with her 6th, ‘His Favourite Tea Lady,’ which went live on 24th April. Maggie’s has since completed, Christmas Past, Happy Holidays, The Lucky Penny, Those Pesky Kids, A Wish for Christmas, Blue’s Christmas Eve Adventure and ‘Pandora’s Box,’ will be going live, on Wednesday 20th November. You can find these and her other stories at www.alfiedog.com

Since having these stories published, Maggie has had 3 of her stories included in the compilation books, ‘Came as Me, Left as We, ‘Read it Again,’ and A Wish for Christmas.’

Maggie Currie –Updated 19th January 2013: I had an hour long interview about my book ‘What you believe creates your reality’ on Susan Rich’s radio programme, a USA based internet radio station.

Co-presented a radio programme once a week for a year, Calder’s Confessions, where we answered people’s problems.

Read the news each weekend for Vectis Radio.

Two of my clients came to me for help re their phobias. One had a phobia of water, and the other had a phobia of confrontation. I worked with each of them for a short while using Thought Field Therapy, and helped them to remove the anxiety associated with the phobia. They went off and one had a holiday on a narrow boat on the canals and the other was able to deal with confrontation from her customers and her staff.

Wrote and presented a seminar on ‘How to have a stress free Christmas’.

Was accepted as a blogger on the Huffington Post and write regular blogs in their lifestyle section.

Wrote a seminar on how to survive Valentine’s Day as a single person to be presented in February 2014.

Helped out as a steward at the Literary Festival at Northwood House.

Planned and invited hundreds of people to the Vectis Radio opening evening at the Riverside Centre.

Sold some of my books in aid of charities, donated some signed copies to charities, specifically Kissypuppy.

Wrote a short story for the in house short story competition.

Crime Writers RC Bridgestock land Scott & Bailey TV role!

Updated 4th January 2014

Writing together is just icing on the cake for crime authors!

There are now four titles in the D.I. Dylan series with the publication of ‘White Lilies’ in June and ‘Snow Kills’ in November, by members RC Bridgestock (Husband and wife writing team, Bob and Carol Bridgestock). Their writing comes from a unique perspective of a collective real life experience of high level policing of 47 years. As a career detective Bob Bridgestock worked in the CID at every rank. For over half of his service he was a senior detective, retiring at the rank of Detective Superintendent of the West Yorkshire Police force.

As a Senior Investigative Officer (SIO) in charge of homicide cases he took command of some twenty-six murder investigations, twenty-three major incidents including shootings and attempted murders and over fifty suspicious deaths and numerous sexual assaults, some of which were extremely high profile in his last three years alone. He was also a Hostage Negotiator and worked in Detective Training at the world renowned West Yorkshire Police Training School for four years as a DI.

Bob brings this unique insight and experience from how real life cases are conducted into page turning gripping fiction, aided by his wife Carol, who has 17 years working within the force. Carol brings her understanding and the experience of a partner of a frontline detective to the D.I. Dylan series. This combination adds authenticity rarely seen in British crime fiction, coupled with warmth, humour and humanity.

The books offer an insight into the real world of British policing mixed with cunning plots and human relationships. This adds a dimension to police procedural fiction which is truly genuine in voice and substance.

‘Bob writes the police procedural from start to finish showing how real crime is investigated. From the moment the body is discovered you travel with him as it really is, but in a fictional tale,’ said Carol. ‘I then pick up that plot and bring to life the characters. I draw out his real feelings stripping away the mask of the detective to unveil real raw reality expressed through DI Dylan. Once these characters live and breathe, I set the scene and add the home life of Dylan and Jen, with all the ups and downs being married to a dedicated professional member of the uniformed services entails.’

‘At first it was difficult to drop the ‘mask’ and reveal my real feelings but Carol said it would be cathartic after all the sights I had witnessed over the years. Of course I said that was rubbish and it was my job. But talking it through and unveiling my ‘crutches’ to myself I now have to agree. It’s awful when you have to admit the wife is right isn’t it?’

2013 saw the couple also achieve numerous talks to groups of all ages which resulted in the proceeds going to the Earl Mountbatten Hospice and The Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice. Organise three writing competitions to inspire others to read and write. Hold two events at the Isle of Wight Literary Festival including a schools event and a Dragon’s Den. Host the Evening of Remembrance at Huddersfield Hall where they introduced X Factor winner Joe McElderry. Appear on ITV and BBC 1 and numerous radio stations including BBC Radio Leeds several times.

They also gained contracts for the Dylan series to be published in South Korea and Turkey in 2014.

2014 is also going to be really busy as the couple have two more books scheduled to be released this year by Caffeine Nights Publishers and they are contracted to be Consultant Storyline/Police Procedural to a new BBC 1 TV drama series by Sally Wainwright & ITV’s Scott & Bailey series 4.

You can read more about the couple, their work and read their more detailed blog about their experiences, rants and tips @ www.rcbridgestock.com

Previously Published

A former detective and his police civilian wife have a new crime-fighting role.

Bob & Carol Bridgestock – who became successful novelists after their combined 47-year police career have been appointed as a consultants for the hit ITV crime series Scott and Bailey.
The couple will work as consultant storyline/police procedure behind the scenes on the fourth series of the show.

The show’s third run drew to a close on May 23, pulling in a final audience of 7.1 million viewers.

Bob, who handled dozens of murder inquiries for West Yorkshire Police and his wife Carol are the couple behind the crime novels featuring Det Insp Jack Dylan, set in the fictional Yorkshire town of Harrowfield.

Darren Laws from Caffeine Nights, the Bridgestocks’ UK Publisher, said: ”This follows on from the rights sale into South Korea & Turkey and marks a fantastic year for Bob and Carol Bridgestock.

“They have also been working as consultants with Red Productions Co. On a new BBC 1 commissioned crime drama ‘Happy Valley’, and have now been asked to work on ITV’s award-winning crime drama series, Scott and Bailey.”

Due to the success of the writing competitions the couple run on the Isle of Wight to encourage others to read and write, especially children they are also launching a story-writing competition for children in their home town in Calderdale, tied in with their November book launch of their latest novel ‘Snow Kills’.

Entry is free but donations can be made to the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.

Youngsters from the Brighouse and Halifax area will be asked to come up with stories on the theme “Snow Time”.

The couple will be at the Isle of Wight Literary Festival as ‘Dragon’s’ in the Dragon’s Den. A press release will be given soon.

2012

An update on our achievements so far this year.

Caffeine Nights announces first foreign rights deal

Press release 20 November 2012

Caffeine Nights Publishing is pleased to announce its first foreign rights deal for RC Bridgestock’s novel, Deadly Focus. Deadly Focus is the first book in the D.I. Jack Dylan series by the husband and wife writing team, Bob and Carol Bridgestock and has been sold as a Korean translation to Geulhangari Publishers.

The deal brokered by Monika Luukkonen Literary Agency) on behalf of Caffeine Nights and the authors and PubHub Literary Agency of Seoul on behalf of Korean publisher, Geulhangari Publishers will see the Korean version of Deadly Focus published in 2014 in paperback and eBook formats.

Caffeine Nights CEO, Darren Laws said. “We are always looking for ways to get our authors and books into new territories and it will be interesting to see how the Korean market takes to a truly British crime thriller. We want to thank Monika for making this deal possible.”

Carol Bridgestock, one half of the writing team with husband, retired Detective Superintendent of West Yorkshire Police, Bob Bridgestock also commented. “A good story is universal, though when we began writing the Dylan series, we never for a moment envisaged a Korean version of Dylan. It’s very exciting.”

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Chris Brammell recently won the Freshwater Bay Jubilee Competition with his short story ‘Besides The Seaside’. Click here to view Chris’s story.

From the authors of ‘Deadly Focus’ comes their second book in the ‘D.I. Jack Dylan’ series.

Detective Inspector Jack Dylan’s list of things to do is getting out of control. He has two unconnected murders to solve. One victim is a small child and the other a young woman; plus a missing detective to find. Long hours are part of the job, but does he have the time to figure out the pieces of the crime jigsaw, and save his relationship?

With the pressure mounting, Dylan has to solve the murder of Liz, a young woman found burned alive in a public park. He also has to find out where half a million pounds of the young woman’s money has gone and how his missing sergeant may be involved in the whole sorry mess.

Usually the search for the murderer begins with the immediate family but the dead woman’s husband is in prison. CONSEQUENCES shows the steps the detective must take to find the answers to the question – who killed Liz?

Deadly Focus is also out in Audio Book now – narrated by the fabulous Paul Ansdell.

ISBN is: 9781907565305.

We have signed a contract for the whole of the DI Dylan series with Caffeine Nights Publishers. Book 3 White Lilies,will be published next Spring and the fourth, Snow Kills Autumn 2013. There will be at least another two books to come in 2014.

We have now secured Literary Agents in all English and Non- English speaking Countries in the world.

2011

Bob and Carol Bridgestock will have theit next book in the RC Bridgestock crime fiction series published in August – called ‘Consequences’. Read reviews click here.

Maggie Jones has just had a story accepted with Lysandra Press – she will work on this to their specifications and hopefully will be given a contract in due course.